


Poise and Rationality (Have Nothing to Do with Steve Rogers)

by romanticalgirl



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Idiots in Love, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Battle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23445385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romanticalgirl/pseuds/romanticalgirl
Summary: Steve does something stupid.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson
Comments: 22
Kudos: 178





	Poise and Rationality (Have Nothing to Do with Steve Rogers)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SaltyCalm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaltyCalm/gifts).



“You know,” Sam sighed. “You’re not always right.”

“I know that, Sam.”

“And it was really stupid.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “So I’ve been told.”

“No. Really, really, _really_ stupid.”

“Yes. I get it.” Steve heaves a sigh. “What’s your point?”

“My point is that, as much as I hate to admit it, Barnes is right.” He holds up a hand to stop Steve from arguing with him. “He has every reason to be furious with you, and you know it. You’re just pissy because you don't want to have to admit it."

"I have no problem admitting when I'm wrong." Sam's eyebrows arch upward sharply. Steve huffs out an annoyed breath. " _Fine_. So what am I supposed to do?"

"Well, first of all, stop bitching at me and expecting some sort of sympathy. Second, go find Barnes and, I don't know, do what you do. Kiss and make up or other shit I don't want to think about you doing."

"Don't be jealous, Sammy."

"I don't care if you survived seventy years in the ice, you call me Sammy again, I'm gonna kick your ass all the way back to nineteen forty-five."

Steve laughs. "Okay, okay. So. I go find Bucky."

"Yeah. You go find Bucky. And Steve? Apologize. Don't piss him off."

"I would never."

Sam doesn't bother to say anything. Steve sighs in defeat and claps Sam on the shoulder as he walks by. The first thing he actually has to do is _find_ Bucky. He'd stormed off the jet and stripped out of his uniform and weapons before Steve even made it onto the landing pad. 

One of the problems with the compound is that there are too many places for someone to hole up and disappear if they don't want to be found. Fortunately for Steve, Bucky's the type that doesn't go to ground. He's waiting. Lying in wait. Because he knows that, at some point, Steve will either realize he fucked up or, probably more than likely, won't realize that whatever he did pissed Bucky off, and when he shows up, Bucky plans to give him hell.

He walks down the corridor and, even though there are typically Avengers everywhere, the path to their rooms seems eerily deserted. He can practically hear the whistling soundtrack of the series of westerns Sam made them watch. 

He takes a deep breath and opens the door. Just as he anticipated, Bucky's in the main room pacing. And glaring. He turns the glare to Steve and opens his mouth, but before he can say anything, Steve holds up his hand.

"I'm sorry." Bucky looks confused as he snaps his mouth shut. He starts to open it again a moment later, but Steve interrupts him again."It was stupid and reckless. And I'd promise not to do it again, but you wouldn't believe me."

"Ha. That's true." Bucky snorts. "Only promise you've never been able to keep."

The corner of Steve's mouth quirks. Bucky's still pissed, and Steve is still not forgiven. He takes a deep breath "And I am sorry I scared you. But you know just as well as I do that I can't stand by and let other people be at risk when I know I can stand in front of them and give them a chance for safety."

"Yeah, I know that." Bucky's head falls back and he blows a breath out toward the ceiling. "But what you seem to forget is that you have a team. A damn good team that is in the damn fight with you. A team of highly trained individuals that have skill sets that _aren't_ being a battering ram or a bull in a china shop."

"I'd like to think I have other talents."

"Yeah." Bucky looks at him, and Steve can see the hints of a smile. "I mean, not on the battlefield, but…"

"Hey!"

Bucky huffs a laugh then sobers. "I've seen you get hurt enough in my lifetime. Watching you jump in and take the hits like you think you deserve it. You don't, Steve."

Steve inhales then lets out a long, slow breath. "That's not why I do it."

"No?" Bucky shrugs. "That's what it looks like."

"I take them because I can. So someone else doesn't have to."

Bucky closes his eyes tight and rubs them with his palms. "You can't stop all the hits. And maybe, just maybe, some of us are willing to take them for you. You can't be a wall to keep it all away. Walls crumble."

"So what do you want me to do, then? Just stand back?"

"No. No. I wouldn't ask that of you. Mostly because I know you wouldn't - couldn't - do that. Just...maybe be a door."

"A… door?"

Bucky sighs. "Doors keep the world at bay, right? But when it gets rough, sometimes they swing open and let everything inside. But then the people inside have had a chance to get ready to fight. And, at some point, someone manages to fight their way forward and close the door again."

"Uh… Huh."

"Words aren't my thing."

"No. I think you did great." He smiles and walks over to Bucky, stopping just in front of him and brushing his hair back off his face. "But what I really got out of that is you want to slam me." He waggles his eyebrows and, closing his eyes again, Bucky groans. 

"That's what you got out of that?"

Steve runs his thumb over Bucky's cheek. There's a fading bruise high on the bone where he'd taken a hit meant for Clint. Widening his eyes, Steve fails completely at not smiling. "Isn't that what you said?"

"You're the worst." Bucky informs him. They look at each other for a moment until Bucky shakes his head and smiles. "Seriously. Why do I put up with you?"

"Slightly deranged? Penance? Actual guardian angel?" Steve tilts his head, thinking. Finally he nods. "Glutton for punishment."

"Complete and utter idiot." Bucky bends over and wraps his arms around Steve's waist, hoisting him over his shoulder. 

"Your idiot," Steve laughs, wrapping his arms around Bucky's waist. "What the hell are you doing, Barnes?"

"Taking you to bed."

Steve closes his eyes and rests his head against Bucky's ass. "That so?"

"Yep."

"Huh." They pass through into the bedroom and Steve reaches out.

And slams the door.


End file.
